Pay it Forward: How 9 Famous Women Gave Back in 2014

In 2014, women made documentaries for charitable causes, channeled business savvy in order to build community, donated to people in need, and used their creative talents to raise money for worthy causes. They do this every year, but we gathered some of 2014's greatest so you can get inspired to give back for the upcoming year. What talents can you share, what causes can you support with your time and energy? Click through the slideshow above to see some examples of smart giving and extraordinary generosity.

Eva Longoria has founded two charities: Eva’s Heroes is for people with intellectual disabilities, and the Eva Longoria Foundation provides Latinas with STEM programs and other educational support. In 2014, she took part in the documentary A Path Appears, a multipart documentary about gender inequality around the world.

Photo: Getty Images

Melinda Gates and Bill Gates gave numerous grants in 2014 through the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Grants included 156 million dollars to PATH to aid in the development of malaria vaccines, 13 million to enhance regional food security in Eastern and Central Africa, and 81 million to help eradicate polio in Nigeria. Look through their grant database for inspiration when you give back in 2015.

Photo: Getty Images

Jessica Alba started a non-toxic, eco-friendly line of childcare products at The Honest Company. It’s a certified B Corporation, meaning that its power and resources are harnessed for public good. As of August 1, 2014, THe Honest Company has donated 555,403 products and helped 50,809 families in need.

In the midst of the ice bucket challenge and increased awareness of ALS, Ellen DeGeneres took direct action to help someone in need. In October 2014, Ellen welcomed firefighter Matt Onyshko to her show. Matt is battling ALS, and his fellow firefighters have worked to cover his shifts so he can keep his salary, and Ellen gave $50,000 to the family to help with their journey. Ellen’s gift “takes away a lot of the stress that we have,” Matt said.

Lauren Bush Lauren founded FEED Projects in 2007 with the FEED 1 Bag, a burlap and cotton bag whose price would provide enough meals to feed a child in school for one year. Since that first bag, FEED has provided over 85 million meals around the world through the World Food Programme and Feeding America. In 2014, she launched a global advertising campaign, “Come Together,” featuring FEED supporters like Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, and Karlie Kloss. The company has also begun working more with global craftspeople so they, in turn, can give back to their communities. Here, she lights the Empire State building orange for Hunger Awareness in September.

Photo: Getty Images

Lena Dunham teamed up with Planned Parenthood for her book tour, welcoming them to participate in events in nine cities in October 2014. The organization shared information about their health care services, education programs, and advocacy work. “Planned Parenthood is a group close to my heart because it protects the health and rights of women,” Dunham said. A variety of her celebrity friends showed their support too with Lena <3 Planned Parenthood shirts!

This year, Beyonce celebrated the 1-year anniversary of Chime for Change’s first major fundraising event, The Sound of Change Live. At the anniversary event, she donated $500,000 to Chime Projects. She later gave $7 million to build a low-income housing project in her hometown of Houston, Texas.

Photo: Getty Images

This December, film director Kathryn Bigelow launched the website lastdaysofivory.com and created a 3-minute animated video to halt elephant poaching and stop the illegal ivory trade. “An elephant disappears every 15 minutes,” she told Variety. “It is our hope that this film helps to bring an activist into existence at least that often.”

Photo: Getty Images

Pay it Forward: How 9 Famous Women Gave Back in 2014

Share:

1 of

Eva Longoria has founded two charities: Eva’s Heroes is for people with intellectual disabilities, and the Eva Longoria Foundation provides Latinas with STEM programs and other educational support. In 2014, she took part in the documentary A Path Appears, a multipart documentary about gender inequality around the world.

Photo: Getty Images

Melinda Gates and Bill Gates gave numerous grants in 2014 through the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Grants included 156 million dollars to PATH to aid in the development of malaria vaccines, 13 million to enhance regional food security in Eastern and Central Africa, and 81 million to help eradicate polio in Nigeria. Look through their grant database for inspiration when you give back in 2015.

Photo: Getty Images

Jessica Alba started a non-toxic, eco-friendly line of childcare products at The Honest Company. It’s a certified B Corporation, meaning that its power and resources are harnessed for public good. As of August 1, 2014, THe Honest Company has donated 555,403 products and helped 50,809 families in need.

In the midst of the ice bucket challenge and increased awareness of ALS, Ellen DeGeneres took direct action to help someone in need. In October 2014, Ellen welcomed firefighter Matt Onyshko to her show. Matt is battling ALS, and his fellow firefighters have worked to cover his shifts so he can keep his salary, and Ellen gave $50,000 to the family to help with their journey. Ellen’s gift “takes away a lot of the stress that we have,” Matt said.

Lauren Bush Lauren founded FEED Projects in 2007 with the FEED 1 Bag, a burlap and cotton bag whose price would provide enough meals to feed a child in school for one year. Since that first bag, FEED has provided over 85 million meals around the world through the World Food Programme and Feeding America. In 2014, she launched a global advertising campaign, “Come Together,” featuring FEED supporters like Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, and Karlie Kloss. The company has also begun working more with global craftspeople so they, in turn, can give back to their communities. Here, she lights the Empire State building orange for Hunger Awareness in September.

Photo: Getty Images

Lena Dunham teamed up with Planned Parenthood for her book tour, welcoming them to participate in events in nine cities in October 2014. The organization shared information about their health care services, education programs, and advocacy work. “Planned Parenthood is a group close to my heart because it protects the health and rights of women,” Dunham said. A variety of her celebrity friends showed their support too with Lena <3 Planned Parenthood shirts!

This year, Beyonce celebrated the 1-year anniversary of Chime for Change’s first major fundraising event, The Sound of Change Live. At the anniversary event, she donated $500,000 to Chime Projects. She later gave $7 million to build a low-income housing project in her hometown of Houston, Texas.

Photo: Getty Images

This December, film director Kathryn Bigelow launched the website lastdaysofivory.com and created a 3-minute animated video to halt elephant poaching and stop the illegal ivory trade. “An elephant disappears every 15 minutes,” she told Variety. “It is our hope that this film helps to bring an activist into existence at least that often.”